One pin back style personnel parachute



July 26, 1966 J. H. MORRELL ETAL 3,262,660

ONE PIN BACK STYLE PERSONNEL PARACHUTE Filed Sept. 4. 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS, JOHN H. Malffif L1 and LIVER D. LETDURNEHU A TTbR/VE 2 3 BY L/ n/h July 26, 1966 J, H. MORRELL ETAL 3,262,650

ONE PIN BACK STYLE PERSONNEL PARACHUTE Filed Sept. 4 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 26, 1966 J. H. MORRELL ETAL 3,252,660

ONE PIN BACK STYLE PERSONNEL PARACHUTE Filed Sept 4 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS. JOHN H. MORRELL fl IVER D. LET URNEAU United States Patent 3,262,660 ONE PIN BACK STYLE PERSONNEL PARACHUTE John H. Morrell, Leominster, and Oliver D. Letourneau, Westford, Mass. Filed Sept. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 394,637 3 Claims. (Cl. 244-148) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the United States Government for governmental purposes without payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates generally to a parachute pack arrangement which improves the safety factor in parachuting. More particularly, the invention comprises a cloverleaf pack which is combined with a vest and harness and a sleeve type parachute in order to produce an arrangement which provides greater safety than that heretofore achieved.

The cloverleaf pack utilized with the invention is combined with a single pin release and eliminates the use of a framework or stifieners. When the pack is utilized with a sleeve type parachute, which has the advantage for planned jumps of slowing the opening shock and produc ing an orderly deployment, the pack assembly results in a thicker and shorter arrangement than packs with stiffeners. Thus, when the pack is sewn to the vest, it is placed at a shoulder blade level and the pack itself acts as a horizontal strap. Movement of the arms and legs are not restricted with this arrangement. When the pack is sewn to the vest, a channel is left therebetween such that the diagonal back straps of the harness are able to slide therethrough, thereby eliminating the necessity for providing adjusting means.

The combination produces a safer parachute .arrangement since the pilot chute cannot get in back of the neck of the jumper to cause pilot chute hesitation. The chute rides away from the back to accomplish this purpose.

When pilot chute hesitation occurs, there is ofttimes panic induced on the jumper, and in his excitement, he releases his reserve parachute. The combination also, by utilizing the cloverleaf pack, produces additional safety in that the air stream is presented with the entire parachute structure. In addition, there is an even opening of the pack due to the lack of stiffeners, the single pin release, and the omission of part of the pack as the pilot chute canopy.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a cloverleaf pack which eliminates the use of stiffeners, thereby allowing for a shorter and thicker assembled pack than is conventional.

It is another object of this invention to provide a parachute pack, vest and harness combination which eliminates pilot chute hesitation. I

It is still another object of this invention to provide a parachute pack combination which enables the pack to be secured at shoulder blade level such that it rides away from a jumpers back and presents the entire parachute structure to the air stream upon actuation of a single pin release.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a parachute pack combination which produces an even opening of the pack.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a parachute pack structure which is easily and economically manufactured of conventional, currently available materials which lends themselves to standard mass production manufacturing techniques.

These and other advantages, features and objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in connection with the illustrative embodiments in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a pictorial representation of the pack, vest and harness as applied to a parachutist;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the back'or outer portion of the pack assembly; and.

FIGURE 3 is a schematic representation of the vest and harness to which the pack of FIGURE 2 is secured.

Referring to FIGURE 2, there is shown the opened pack 10 which is in the general shape of a cloverleaf. A protector flap 12 is sewn at one end on one of the longer leaves of the cloverleaf and is utilized to protect the rip cord pin. when it is assembled with the come 14 which is secured to the cloverleaf on the other of the longer cloverleaf leaves. cured by means of cotton tape as shown at 18 to the remaining leaves such that when the flap containing cone 14 is folded over the packed parachute, which preferably is of the sleeve type, the fasteners 16 are placed over the cone 14. The protector flap 12 is released at its end containing snaps 20 thereby uncovering a metal grommet 22 which is also placed over the cone 14. The rip cord (not shown) is threaded through a rip cord housing 24 which is tacked to the cloverleaf, as shown. The rip cord pin is then placed through a hole in the cone 14 and is secured by the pressure exerted by the parachute within the pack. Snap buttons 26 and mating snap posts 28 would then be engaged in order to present an assembled pack with the parachute as can be seen in FIGURE 1 as applied to a parachutist. Dashed lines at 30 on FIGURE 2 show generally the sewing lines on which the cloverleaf is secured to a vest 50. The cloverleaf also has elastic webbing sewn at 32 for attachment of the pack to the harness 40 in order to position comfortably the pack-over the shoulder. Binding tape may be applied to the edges of the cotton duck cloverleaf pack and the rip cord protector flap 12. If desired, metal stiffeners may be applied at 32 for the flaip ends; however, no stiffeners, that would dictate the shape of the pack, may be utilized.

The harness 40 (shown best in FIGURE 3) has webbing straps 41 arranged diagonally such that the straps of the diagonal portions are held within the channels formed when the cloverleaf pack 10 is sewn to the vest 50 along the sewing lines 30 of FIGURE 2. The diagonally oriented straps 41 extend over the shoulders of the para-.

chutist and are secured to the vest 50 at a point 42 and have conventional Capewell canopy release fittings 44 adjacent thereto.

As can best be seen in FIG. 1, the risers 46 from the sleeve type parachute would be secured over the parachutists shoulders to the Capewell canopy release fittings 44. Each of the elastic webbing straps 32 from the pack 10 is also secured at or near a point 42 and would lie beneath a strap 41. A keeper strap 45 is secured to each of the diagonal straps 41 at the shoulder portion and has loops at the ends thereof such that it can simultaneously serve as a guide for the elastic webbing 32.

An ejector snap is secured to one of the harness webbing st-raps 41 below the Capewell fitting 44 and is arranged to coact with a V ring 52 on a chest strap 54 which is secured to the other strap 41. That portion of webbing 41 below the Capewell canopy may advantageously be sewn to the vest in order to provide additional comfort. D rings 56 are provided below the V ring 52 and the ejector snap 48 to provide for the utilization of a chest type reserve parachute.

The harness webbing straps 41 proceed down the front of the vest 50 and a portion of the vest is folded over the webbing at 58 and is sewn thereto. The webbing 41 immediately below the vest has a loop 60 therein to allow for passage of the end of the Webbing 42 which extends from the back between the pack and vest, through the loop at 60 and back to the main harness for attachment thereto at 62. The front portion of each of the harness A pair of fasteners 16 are sewebbings 41 below the loop portion 60 are joined together.

At the point of joinder adjustable straps 64 with V rings 66 are provided to be engaged with snap hooks 68 on the free ends of webbing straps 41. Accessory rings 70 may also be provided on the portion of the harness webhing adjacent the point of joinder.

When the harness 40 and vest 50 are applied to a parachutist, the harness is secured to a parachutist in the configuation illustrated in FIGURE 1. An elasticized pocket 72 is also provided on the webbing to engage a conventional rip cord handle 74. The rip cord housing 24 is also secured to the harness to direct the rip cord cable 7 6 toward the parachutists pack.

Portions of the harness webbing 41 may be made of multiple plies in order to allow for the formation of the loops 60 and to provide the strength necessary for protection against the shock caused by the opening ofthe parachute. In eifect the harness webbing 41 can be thought of as a single strap with ends culminating in snap hooks 68.

As can be seen in FIGURE 1, when the vest 50 is applied to the user, the cloverleaf pack rides on the shoulder blade portion keeping the chute structure away from the user such that when the cloverleaf is opened, the entire parachute structure is presented to the wind stream and the pilot parachute cannot be caught in the hollow of the neck of the parachutist. The lack of stiffeners, which allows for a shorter and thicker pack, aids in maintaining the chute away from the parachutists neck; however, comfort is not sacrificed. Elimination of pilot chute hesitation eliminates a major cause of panic with a jumper and, accordingly, the unwarranted release of reserve parachutes is avoided.

Although the invention has been described relative to a particular embodiment, it should be understood, for example, that although stifieners are not utilized for forming or dictating the shape of the pack, stitfeners could be utilized adjacent the ends of the flaps of the cloverleaf leaves in order to aid in ettectuating a closure of the device when the parachute is being packed, and the harness may have conventional means for providing adjustment such that the device would be applicable to a very Wide range of sizes.

We intend to be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A parachute pack, harness and vest assembly comprising a generally cloverleaf shaped pack, the assembled shape of which is dictated by any contents thereof, single pin release means for said pack, a vest, means for joining said vest to said pack at the shoulder blade area of said vest, a pair of intersecting channels having walls formed by a portion'of said pack and vest, said walls being defined by said means for joining said vest to said pack, harness means secured to said vest and having a portion extending through said channels, and means on said harness for releasing said single pin release means to cause said cloverleaf pack to expose any contents therein to the airstream at the shoulder blade level of said vest.

2. An assembly as defined in claim 1 including elastic webbing secured to said pack and said harness.

3. An aviation vest, personnel harness and parachute pack assembly for use with a sleeve type parachute, comprising a vest, a generally cloverleaf shaped pack, the final shape of which is dictated by the contents thereof, said pack being sewn to said vest at the shoulder blade area of the back of said vest, a pair of crossed channels formed by said vest and said pack, a personnel type harness having diagonal straps within said channels, and single pin release means secured to said vest and said harness for opening said pack to expose a parachute therein to the airstream at the shoulder blade level in order to avoid pilot chute hesitation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,430,7'73 11/1947 Kowalski 244-448 2,711,296 6/1955 Clark 244--148 FOREIGN PATENTS 865,078 4/1961 Great Britain.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

ALFRED E. CORRIGAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PARACHUTE PACK, HARNESS AND VEST ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A GENERALLY CLOVERLEAF SHAPED PACK, THE ASSEMBLED SHAPE OF WHICH IS DICTATED BY ANY CONTENTS THEREOF, SINGLE PIN RELEASE MEANS FOR SAID PACK, A VEST, MEANS FOR JOINING SAID VEST TO SAID PACK AT THE SHOULDER BLADE AREA OF SAID VEST, A PAIR OF INTERSECTION CHANNELS HAVING WALLS FORMED BY A PORTION OF SAID PACK AND VEST, SAID WALLS BEING DEFINED BY SAID MEANS FOR JOINING SAID VEST TO SAID PACK, HARNESS MEANS SECURED TO SAID VEST AND HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CHANNELS, AND MEANS ON SAID HARNESS FOR RELEASING SAID SINGLE PIN RELEASE MEANS TO CAUSE SAID CLOVERLEAF PACK TO EXPOSE ANY CONTENTS THEREIN TO THE AIRSTREAM AT THE SHOULDER BLADE LEVEL OF SAID VEST. 